During fabrication of a vehicle console including a latching storage bin (typically by injection and/or compression molding) an opening is provided in the console bin structure to provide a lid latch engagement area and to allow necessary latch swing clearance. While this opening could be simply left open, this is undesirable for aesthetic reasons. Moreover, a latch opening provides an avenue for lost and potentially un-retrievable objects, leading to further customer dissatisfaction. Accordingly, it is known to provide a latch opening close-out to occlude the latch opening when providing a finished vehicle console bin.
Conventionally, this is done by manufacturing and inserting a separate molded latch opening close-out. Disadvantageously, providing such a separate piece incurs additional materials and associated costs, including costs of tooling, manufacturing materials, the cost of manufacturing floor space required for the tooling, and labor costs in manufacturing/installing the close-out.
To solve this and other problems, the present disclosure relates at a high level to an integrated console latch opening close-out for a console latching storage bin, to consoles incorporating the integrated close-out, and to tooling for fabricating the close-out.